Frances Swanepoel and Rachel Seaman started the Wines2Whales prologue with ninth place for Cycle Nation Enza Construction on Thursday.
The South African pairing completed the 18-kilometre Elite Women’s opener at Lourensford Wine Estate in 51 minutes and 22 seconds. They finished 3 minutes and 37 seconds behind the winning Torpado Kenda FSA team.
Katazina Sosna-Pinele and Giorgia Marchet set the fastest time in 47:45.6. Samantha Sanders and Alexis Skarda of Efficient Infiniti Scott Shimano finished only nine-tenths of a second behind them. Margot Moschetti and Costanza Fasolis of e-Fort completed the podium.
Wines2Whales prologue sets early benchmark
The 2026 FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay opened with a demanding test for the Elite Women’s field. The event carries UCI S1 classification, adding further weight to a strong international line-up.
Riders faced two laps of a nine-kilometre circuit around Lourensford. The short format still asked repeated questions, with technical sections and frequent accelerations shaping the early standings.
Swanepoel and Seaman made a steady start and held seventh at the 3.75-kilometre timing point. They remained seventh at the nine-kilometre mark before finishing the prologue in ninth.
The result gives the Cycle Nation Enza Construction riders a clear opening position before the longer stages. Those stages will place greater emphasis on endurance, climbing strength, and consistency.
Attention turns to Stage One and Gantouw Pass
Friday’s first full stage takes the field from Lourensford Wine Estate to Oak Valley Estate. The route covers approximately 61 kilometres and includes the historic Gantouw Pass.
That terrain should change the character of the race after the short prologue. The mountainous Western Cape route gives teams more room to recover time or defend positions.
The leading international pairings have already shown a high pace. Swanepoel and Seaman will look to build from their top-10 start as the race moves beyond the Lourensford circuit.
The Chardonnay event continues through Sunday, 8 November. Cycle Nation Enza Construction remains in competition against some of the strongest women’s mountain bike pairings in the international field.
Cycle Nation riders in the Elite Women’s race
Swanepoel and Seaman’s ninth place came in a tightly contested opening day. Their early seventh-place splits showed contact with the sharp end before the final lap reshaped the order.
The prologue did not decide the race, but it established the first reference point. The next three stages will test the pair over longer distances and more demanding terrain.
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